Families for Orphans provides information about orphans, orphan ministry, and adoptions. Our goal is to help orphans get into families... and to provide love and hope for children who do not have a family.

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RUSSIA'S PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS SIGNED THE LAW WHICH BANS THE ADOPTION of Russian orphans in the United States. It is still unclear what will happen with adoptions that were already under way. Please pray for these families and for the children who are anticipating finding their forever families. Big Family Mission has always encouraged adoption of Russian orphans by families in America, in Russia, and in other countries; however, we are not directly involved with adoptions.Big Family partners with Russian churches and ministries which help orphans who have little chance of being adopted. We are involved with helping children, and not politics, so we anticipate that the new law will not impact our work in Russia.Please continue to pray for orphans around the world!Here's a link to the latest news story about the ban on adoptions .

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has announced that he will sign legislation banning the adoption of Russian orphans in the United States. The impact on adoptions now in progress is unclear at this point.

The upper house of the Russian parliament has unanimously approved a ban on adoptions to the United States earlier today. Now, the bill goes to President Putin for his signature.The ban was added last week to a broader bill retaliating for human rights sanctions signed by President Obama earlier this month. Putin has expressed support for the broader bill, which reciprocates the sanctions, but he has dodged questions about the adoption ban.At stake are the cases of 46 Russian children whose adoptions would be frozen if the bill becomes law, according to Russia’s children’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhav. He said those children would receive priority to be adopted by Russian families.The proposed ban has split Russian society. Outside the parliament at least seven people were detained while protesting the bill, according to RIA Novosti. Human rights advocates have urged Russian authorities not to move forward with the ban, saying it denies Russian orphans a home with a family.Several top officials, including Russia’s foreign minister and education minister have come out against the ban. A memo from another top official suggested its passage would cause Russia to breach several international treaties, including a recently enacted adoption agreement between the United States and Russia.Others, like Astakhav, have supported the measure, saying that Russian children should remain in Russia.A recent poll by the Public Opinion Foundation found a majority of Russians supported the ban, while a quarter opposed it and another quarter expressed no opinion.For complete news story from the New York Times, click here.

Russia's lower house of parliament (the State Duma) has voted to approve the controversial ban of adoptions in the third and final reading despite strong opposition from the public, activists, mass media and state officials.
420 of 450 Lower House members voted in favor of the Dima Yakovlev bill and seven voted against with one abstention.
Protesters have picketed the State Duma office, and press and social networks continue to grill the members of parliament as the bill was discussed.
The bill now goes to the upper house (senate) of parliament, where it is expected to be voted on December 26.Click here for a complete news story.

This urgent prayer request was sent to us today by a Russian pastor, whose church has a ministry to orphans. If nothing changes, the Russian Duma (parliament) will have a final vote on Friday for legislation that would ban U.S. citizens from adopting Russian orphans. The legislation would also impact Russian orphan ministry organizations that receive aid and assistance from the United States. If passed on Friday (21 December 2012), the bill then goes to the Senate, and if passed there, on to Putin for his signature to become law.

Please read and pray for the orphans of Russia!

“A few days ago the Russian Duma has decided to react
toward Magnitskiy Bill that U.S. Congress has signed. To read more about the
bill you can check out the link below this post.

"The most absurd way the Russian government could have reacted to the bill is to
punish orphans by proposing a ban for American citizens to adopt Russian
children. The proposed bill has to be voted three different times by the Duma
first, before it would go into the Senate & then signed by the president so
that it goes into effect. The first two votes have already happened. The second
one had some opposition by some of the country officials, but not enough to
kill the bill. On Friday it will be voted for the 3rd time & if it is in
favor then it will automatically go to the Senate. Then it is up to the
president Putin. If he agrees with the bill & decides to sign it then it
will go into effect on January 1, 2013; thus no more adoptions will happen by
American citizens & any current adoptions could be nulled. By the way
please note this bill will not ban all foreign adoptions, but only adoptions
for American citizens.

"At the moment everything is up in the air & it is difficult to say, which
way the things are going to go. It greatly saddens me that orphan children once
again become the victims of dirty politics. You might read in the future that
this bill was signed due to no control over adoptive families & failed
adoption cases, which is a lie. The Russian government will also forbid as part
of this bill any Russian nationals holding the U.S. passport & involved in
the local NGOs that support politics & receive funding from abroad -
meaning the United States. Thus, again it is a proof that this bill has to do
anti America
& not orphans or American people adopting Russian orphans. It was never
about the children.

"There is a lot of uncertainty & could have severe effects on many families
& most of all on the children who will never be adopted especially children
with some disability because hardly any Russian people will ever consider
adopting a child that has a disability. It breaks my heart deeply.

"Will you commit to pray for this & ask the Lord to intervene in this
insanity.

"I can see how Russia
is going back to the old Soviet controlling life in a slow & settle way.
The rights are either being limited or taken away.

"Thank you all for your prayers and support of the work
done in the Lord’s harvest of souls here in Russia.